Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment her Department has made of the potential effect on the UK agri-food industry of a tariff-free free trade deal with Australia.

The UK stands to gain from a trade agreement with Australia. The Government will secure reductions in tariffs on UK exports to Australia, saving UK businesses millions of pounds. For example, elimination of 5% tariffs on whisky could bolster Northern Irish Whiskey exports to Australia.

Any deals the Government signs will include protections for the agricultural sector and will not undercut UK farmers or compromise the UK’s high standards.

The Government carried out preliminary scoping assessments for each FTA negotiation, including Australia, which can be found on the Government’s website. A full impact assessment will be published prior to implementation.